


Who is Ereinion Gil-galad?

by starlightwalking



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Fin-galad Theory, Finduilas Is Gil-galad, Gen, Gil-galad Son of Plothole, Interviews
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-16 21:32:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19326517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightwalking/pseuds/starlightwalking
Summary: A FREE PEOPLES Magazine exclusive story from interviewer Losseth of Lhûn!"I had the privilege of interviewing Ereinion Gil-galad, the mysterious new High King of the Noldor. His Majesty was friendly, charismatic, and quite the visionary—keep reading to discover more about our fearless leader!"





	Who is Ereinion Gil-galad?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [esmeraldablazingsky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/esmeraldablazingsky/gifts).



> Inspired by [@princess-faelivrin](http://princess-faelivrin.tumblr.com) (a.k.a. esmeraldablazingsky)'s [cover for a Middle-earth magazine](https://princess-faelivrin.tumblr.com/post/185574906024/i-got-possessed-last-night-by-the-fake-magazine)! This story follows her Fin-galad theory, that Finduilas survived the Fall of Nargothrond and became the King known as Gil-galad.
> 
> Set ~100 years into the Second Age, shortly after Gil-galad’s coronation. I headcanon that Gil-galad didn’t become king until about then because of how hectic things were at the end of the First Age. Timelines might not check out entirely, but this is in a magazine that wouldn’t have existed, so I’m not too worried about that.

**Losseth of Lhûn [LL]:**  Greetings, your Majesty. A star shines upon the hour of our meeting.

 **Ereinion Gil-galad [EG]:** It certainly does.

 **LL:**  It is an honor to meet with you, your Majesty. Everyone in Middle-earth is dying to know about the new High King. I'm excited to find out more about you!

 **EG:**  Let's get right into it, then.

 **LL:**  First off—who are you wearing tonight? I have to say, that robe is  _gorgeous_.

 **EG:** Thank you. It was weaved for me by Meleth, one of the survivors of the Fall of Gondolin.

 **LL:**  Is she open for commissions?

 **EG:**  [pause] No. Unfortunately, she perished in the Third Kinslaying at Sirion.

 **LL:**  Oh dear. I hope her spirit has found its rest. It is a grand thing for you to honor her memory this way.

 **EG:**  Yes, she was an excellent woman.

 **LL:**  Were you present at that dreadful slaughter?

 **EG:**  No. I happened to be out of town on that day. The Valar protected me and mine.

 **LL:**  Do you believe that the Powers chose you as the next king?

 **EG:**  [laugh] Oh, no. Scion of Kings I may be, but I am not god-touched any more than the other survivors of the War of Wrath.

 **LL:**  But you did survive—and fought bravely, if the reports are true, even alongside Eärendil the Bright!

 **EG:**  Eärendil and I were dear friends. Both exiled prince, you know, living in Sirion. It was an honor to reunite with him—now  _there's_  a god-touched hero. I just did my duty.

 **LL:**  And yet Eärendil departed, and you stayed. I was very young then, and wished to stay with my parents, who were of Fingon's people originally and did not want to return. But if you were pardoned, I imagine the offer to return across the sea would be tempting.

 **EG:**  Yes, it was. I lost...many loved ones in the various tragedies of Beleriand, and reuniting with them in Aman was a tempting offer. But—I knew I could not see everyone, even there... And with Eärendil gone, the Noldor needed leadership.

 **LL:**  And no one else wanted to step up? Not Lady Galadriel, or Lord Elrond?

 **EG:**  You have to remember—it was only a hundred or so years ago, but Galadriel were not who they are now. Elrond was barely an adult at the time, and Galadriel was secluded in Doriath for centuries. She didn't have—leadership experience.

 **LL:**  And you did.

 **EG:**  Yes. Like I said—Earendil, Elwing, and I, we were exiled royalty. Inheritors of fallen kingdoms: Gondolin, Doriath, Nargothrond. Círdan ruled the Havens, but we were leaders among our peoples.

 **LI:**  You were close with Elwing, too, then?

 **EG:**  Yes, we were friends.

 **LL:**  Was there ever any...conflict between you and Eärendil over her affection?

 **EG:**  What? [laugh] Oh, no. I watched her grow up. She and Eärendil were the same age—I was born long before either of them. No, there was none of that.

 **LL:**  Well, aside from Elwing, were there any ladies in your life?

 **EG:**  Oh, yes, several. I had—my sister Finduilas, I mean—she had many handmaids in Nargothrond. We were all close.

 **LL:**  Are there any love stories with you and your sister's friends? The rumor is you're unmarried.

 **EG:**  Oh—you mean—Uh, no—

 **LL:** Let me ask you straight. Where is your significant other?

 **EG:**  Oh, uh, they're—he's dead.

 **LL:**  [pause] Oh! My apologies—are you gay, then?

 **EG:**  Um—I duel wield.

 **LL:**  Excuse me?

 **EG:**  I'm—bisexual. Could we move on?

 **LL:**  Yes, of course. [pause] Well, from one touchy subject to another, if you don't mind. Are you open to discussing the rumors around your parentage?

 **EG:**  [laugh] Sure. What are the latest theories? Last I heard, I was a Fëanorian!

 **LL:**  [laugh]  _No_ , I don't think anyone is series about  _those_  accusations. Well, word on the street is that your father was Fingon, or perhaps even Círdan.

 **EG:**  I don't know what good it will do, but I can safely debunk both of those theories.

 **LL:**  You're sticking with the official story, then? Son of Orodreth?

 **EG:**  It's not just "official," it's the truth. I was born and raised in Nargothrond, by Orodreth and Amathluin. I knew both my parents well, and I was close with my sister. I'm not sure where these rumors sprang from, but they are all false.

 **LL:**  I believe you, of course, but I can offer some theories.

 **EG:**  Please, enlighten me.

 **LL:**  Well, there seems to be some confusion as to whether Orodreth  _had_  a son. No family trees have you marked until you first emerged in a skirmish with orcs while protecting survivors of the Fall of Nargothrond.

 **EG:**  Forgive me if I don't put too much stock in those family trees—my mother isn't on them, either.

 **LL:**  But you were present at the Fall? Did you know that doomed mortal, Túrin Turambar?

 **EG:**  [pause] I hope you don't mind if I don't get quite specific, but—yes, I was there. Remembering it is—difficult. I lost my entire family.

 **LL:**  Of course. I don't mean to bring up bad memories.

 **EG:**  I was...the younger sis—the younger sibling. Finduilas—she was the pretty one. And Nargothrond was somewhat of a hidden kingdom. When my parents relocated there, they vanished off the map. My mother, Amathluin, did not bear me until several years later. And Finduilas was the one people...remembered. Sometimes she couldn't catch a break from people because of that.

 **LL:**  Enough about Finduilas—the people want to know about  _you_.

 **EG:**  Hm! Well, Finduilas was very—important to me. When she and my parents perished, I...had to reinvent myself. I was their legacy. I'm Finwëan, yes, but I'm the son of the son of the son of Finwë. I always assumed the crown wouldn't pass to me, until there was no one left to take it.

 **LL:**  And you didn't take it, not until this past year.

 **EG:**  Yes. With the Noldor so scattered, there wasn't much need for a High King for some time. Technically, it was Turgon who held the title, but he wasn't doing much ruling outside of Gondolin. We managed until the War of Wrath ended—then I felt I had to step up and guide my people.

 **LL:**  So you moved east, and founded Lindon.

 **EG:**  Yes.

 **LL:**  Your exploits are truly impressive, your Majesty. Do you have any plans for the Noldor in what they're calling the "Second Age"?

 **EG:**  I hope to protect my people from evil. Morgoth may have been defeated, but some of his servants escaped. Lindon is peaceful for now, but it will require work to keep it so. And we have intruded upon the land of the Nandor and Silvan elves. I have been doing my best to protect their autonomy while finding a new home for the Sindar and Noldor from the Ruins of Beleriand. And the kingdom of Númenor, though newly established, promises to present unprecedented relationships between elves and mortals. I will be quite busy in the coming Age—I am grateful to have wise colleagues like Círdan, Elrond, Galadriel, and Celebrimbor to work by my side in this endeavor.

 **LL:**  Thank you so much, your Majesty, for both your time here today and your work as our leader. Do you have any parting words for our readers?

 **EG:**  Thank you to those who have stood by and supported me, as well as to those who aid me now. And to my loyal subjects, I am not only your king, but your servant, and I hope to serve you well.

 **LL:**  You heard it here first, folks! Next month in  _Free Peoples_ , we'll be interviewing the King's young herald and up-and-coming Lord, Elrond Peredhel—you don't want to miss it!

**Author's Note:**

> Losseth shares a name with a Rivendell OC I used in my fic [Beneath the Stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5675194/chapters/13073968). They could be the same character, but she’s certainly a different person in the Second Age than in the Third.
> 
> Meleth was Eärendil’s nurse in Gondolin. That’s pretty much all we know about her, so I added a little more to her story for this fic.
> 
> Amathluin is my name for Orodreth’s wife. It means “blue shield” in Sindarin. As always, thanks to [RealElvish.Net](https://realelvish.net) for every OC name I could ever want!
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading and commenting!  
> You can find me on tumblr [@arofili](http://arofili.tumblr.com). (At time of posting my url is actually @aroziraphale but that's temporary, lol, and I've got a redirect page up.)


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